Safety attachment for gas-burners



(No Model.)

G. L. THUNEN- SAFETY ATTACHMENT FOR GAS BURNERS.

Patented Mar. 29, 1892.

FIG

'FIG 1 Mrs STATES ATENT FFICE;

SAFETY ATTACHMENT FOR GAS-BURNERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 471,914, dated March29, 1892. Application filed May 25, 1891. Serial No. 394,046. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GERHARD L. THUNEN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Oroville, Butte county, State of California, have inventedan Improvement in Safety Attachments for Gas-Burners; and I herebydeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of thesame.

My invention relates to an attachment for gas-burnerswhereby the supplycock or valve is automatically closed whenever the gas is extinguishedaccidentally or otherwise.

It consistsof a segment or quadrant loosely fixed to the upper end ofthe cock, so as to be turned with it or independently of it, a latch bywhich it is held when the cock is open, a disengaging device actuated bythe cooling and contraction of certain parts Whenever the gas isextinguished, and a spring acting upon the segment, so that when thelatter is released from its holding device the spring will turn it andcause it to close the cock and cut off the supply of gas.

Referring to the accompanying drawings for a more complete explanationof myinvention, Figure 1 is aview of the burner with the parts inposition for closing the valve. Fig. 2 shows the burner closed. Fig. 3is a transverse section of the burner, showing it open. Fig. 4 is ahorizontal section.

A is a gas-burner of any suitable or ordinary description, and B the keyby which the cook or valve is turned so as to admit gas from thesupply-pipe to the burner or cut it off therefrom.

Upon the end of the key or cook which projects above the tube is fixedan arm 0, which turns with the key. This arm has an upturned point orpin D at its outer end. Above the plate 0 is a second plate E, which isin the form of a segment of a circle, the center being fitted looselyaround a projecting end of the key, so that it may turn independently ofthe latter.

F is a coil or other spring having one end fixed to the burner-tube orother point and the other end acting upon the rotary segment E. Thetension of this spring is sufficientto cause the segment to stand in theposition shown in Fig. 1 when the cock is closed and the segment free tomove. When the cock is opened, the action of turning the cock causesspring which forces the pin upward. This pin will retain the segment inthis position,

Whether the cock be closed or open, until such time as the gas has beenlighted at the burner.

I is a bent arm or post extending upward with the upper end curved, asshown. To this upper end is fixed an expansible slip of metal J, whichextends down in close proximity to the burner, so that when the flame islighted it will be heated by it.

From the base of the burner an elastic arm K extends to a point justabove the springactuated pin G, which holds the movable segment inplace. Through the end of this elastic arm passes a pin L, which isscrewthreaded and adjustable. The point of the pin stands justabove thepin G, which looks the segment. The lower end of the expansible slip ofmetal is connected with the horizontal elastic arm K, which carries thepin L, and when the parts are cold this arm and the pin are held up justabove the rotating segment. The cock being opened and the gas lighted,the slip J, upon which the flame of the burner acts, will expand inlength, and by this expansion it allows the horizontal springplate K andthe pin L at its end to move downward. As this pin moves downward itforces the locking-pin G, previously described, down into its socket byreason of the superior pressure of the spring K, carrying the upper pin.This releases the segment from the lower locking-pin; but it is at thesame time engaged by the upper pin L, and is thus held in this positionas long as the gas remains lighted. If for any reason the gas shouldbecome extinguished, the expansible strip J immedi ately cools, and,drawing the horizontal springplate K upward, it draws the end of the pinL out of engagement with the rotatable segment E. The spring F, by whichthis segment is rotated into the position shown in Fig. 1, is strongenough to turn the segment and also the cock by reason of the edge ofthe segment engaging the pin D on the arm 0,

which is :sixed to the cock. By this means the cock will be immediatelyclosed as soon as the gas is extinguished, even though it be left open,and if the cock is properly closed the only action produced by thecooling of the expansible strip will be to release the segment and allowit to follow the cock to its closed position, where it retains it.

To prevent the spring-bolt G following the pin L when the latter iswithdrawn, I may make the point of the pin smaller than the diameter ofthe bolt, so that when the bolt is pressed down the tendency of thespring F will be to turn the segment back to first position, and as thepin has a smaller diameter than the bolt it will be manifest enoughmovement is allowed the segment to carry one of the walls of the slot Fbeyond the top of the bolt, whereby the bolt is retained in itsdepressed condition during the time the pin L is being withdrawn. Vhenthe segment has been returned by the spring, the bolt G is enabled torise, as before stated.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. A safety attachment for gas-burners, consisting of thespring-actuated segment turning loosely upon the projecting end of thecook or key, an arm fixed to this end of the cock, having a point toengage the segment and turn it a part of a revolution when the cock isopened, a springactnated pin G, fitted to the burner and engaging anotch or perforation in the segment, whereby it is held when the cock isopen, a second spring-plate carrying a disengaging pin L, and a meansfor releasing said plate by the heat of the burner, so that the pin willbe substituted for the first-named locking-pin, substantially as hereindescribed.

2. lhe safety attachment for gas-burners, consisting of aspring-actuated segment fitted loosely upon the projecting end of thecock or key, an arm fixed to the cook or key and turning with it andhaving a pin which engages and turns the segment when the cock isopened, a springactuated locking-pin Gr, whereby the segment is held inposition to prevent it from acting to close the cock after the latter isopen, a spring-plate carrying a disengaging pin L, which stands in lineabove the lockin g-pin, and an expansible strip having one end connectedwith this spring-plate and the other with a standard, whereby the stripis held in position to be heated by the action of the gas-flame when thelatter is lighted, so that the expansion allows the spring-plate anddisengaging pin to descend and this pin to take the place of the primarylocking-pin, substantially as herein described.

3. A safety attachment for gas-burners, consisting of a spring-actuatedsegment turning loosely upon the projecting end of the cook or key ofthe gas-burner, an arm fixed to said cock or key, having a pointengaging the segment, so that the latteris turn ed when the cock isopencd,'a spring-actuated locking-pin G, which engages and holds thesegment in this position until the gas is lighted, a disengaging pin L,with an actuating-spring of superior tension to that of the locking-pinG, and an expansible and contractile. slip J, connected with thisspring, expanding so as to allow the disengaging pin L to be substitutedfor the locking-pin G when the flame is lighted and contracting when theflame is extin gushed, so as to withdraw the disengaging pin L and allowthe segment to act to close the cock or valve, substantially as hereindescribed.

In witness whereof l have hereunto set my hand.

GERHART) L. THUNEN.

\Vit-nesses:

S. H. NOURSE, J. A. BAYLnss.

